Jean-Jacques Rousseau criticized representative democracy because the latter is a form of slavery. People obey to the laws enacted by representatives without knowing the content. It isa voluntary servitude. Just because people voluntarily agree to slavery, such a voluntary slavery won't become democratic. That's how I look at Switzerland: directive democracy as against representative democracy that Rousseau criticized.

Switzerland is a small country. An 'anomaly' to Arrow's theorem, if one insists on it. So, one has to study Switzerland's democracy.